5Takeaways From Obama’s West Point Speech

President Obama committed to a deeper involvement in Syria and said U.S. resources should be used for diplomatic efforts and counterterrorism rather than broad military engagements. Here are five takeaways from his speech.

28 May 2014 4:17pm

By

Adam Entous

1Relying on Partners

Mr. Obama pushed back against critics who assert that his approach undermines U.S. leadership around the world. Mr. Obama signaled that he was doubling down – not backing down — on a strategy that calls for limiting the use of U.S. force and for building up the capabilities of partner nations to police their own backyards. The question is: How willing and capable are U.S. partners?

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2A Shift on Syria

Mr. Obama said he would work with Congress to ramp up support to the moderate Syrian opposition. What Mr. Obama meant – but didn’t say publicly – was that the administration plans to work with Congress on legislation that would authorize the Secretary of Defense to equip, train, and provide defense services to “vetted” members of the Syrian opposition. The Senate Armed Services Committee has already approved that language. And if Congress balks, then Mr. Obama could shift the blame for inaction to the very lawmakers who have been criticizing him for being hands-off.

Reuters

3Terrorism Fears

Mr. Obama recognized the spread of militancy, from Syria to North Africa, could come back to haunt the U.S. While few expect another Sept. 11 event, counterterrorism officials worry that the U.S. has few options on the table to respond. Mr. Obama specifically noted that “as the Syrian civil war spills across borders, the capacity of battle-hardened groups to come after us increases.”

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4High Bar for Military Action

Mr. Obama tried to set conditions for authorizing the use of military force: “When our core interests demand it; when our people are threatened; when our livelihood is at stake; or when the security of our allies is in danger.” If the U.S. isn’t threatened directly, then the threshold for using force would be higher.

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5Drone Transparency

Mr. Obama again promised more “transparency” about U.S. strikes against suspected terrorist targets using drones. He said he would increasingly turn to the U.S. military to “take the lead and provide information to the public about our efforts.” The idea is to eventually put the Pentagon, instead of the CIA, in charge of drone operations. Still, few expect the U.S. military’s Special Operations Command to soon allow reporters or human rights groups to scrutinize the “kill lists.”